Case Study Twelve

Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy has been an important part of downtown Minneapolis for more than 100 years. We are embedded in the community, both through our investment in electric infrastructure and in our commitment to the community’s success.

With an eye to the future and with great excitement, we announced in 2012 that we plan to consolidate our downtown locations in two buildings, including our current headquarters and a new building soon to be opened directly across Nicollet Mall. The new LEED-certified, silver, building, which we plan to occupy in 2016, will enable us to create an Xcel Energy campus and will provide a collaborative and productive work space that will help us recruit and retain a talented workforce. We are especially proud that the new building will contribute to the Downtown 2025 Plan, which envisions the enhancement of the Nicollet Mall connection to the Mississippi River with its recreational activities and scenic vistas.

We wanted to stay in downtown Minneapolis because it is an ideal location for our corporate headquarters. Our employees are able to take advantage of the numerous amenities downtown has to offer, and we all enjoy working in the heartbeat of this vibrant city.

In addition, downtown Minneapolis is served by the metro’s primary road and highway system that provides for easy commutes to employees who live throughout the Twin Cities. Many use public transportation, which is especially affordable if they use the Metro Pass program, which we offer for their benefit.

With the explosion of new housing in downtown Minneapolis, we also know that some of our employees are not only working downtown but living here. The same amenities that make downtown a good place to work and play make it a wonderful place to live. It’s easy to get caught up in the vitality, especially with events like a Twins’ Season Opener. With families and business people enjoying the excitement together, it creates the feeling of being part of something bigger, something unique to downtown. We love it here and plan to stay.